Gear is arguably the most important part of a hiker's planning process. I know for me personally I have gone over my list at least 50 times and have spent so much time trying to shave ounces wherever I can. It continues to be something that I think about daily and I'm sure as I climb that brutal approach trail, I'll be thinking about how I can cut even more.

But until then, I want to share my gear list with you all. The link below will take you to our gear homepage, which then links to our individual gear pages. There is one for me, one for Serial and one for Rooney. My gear page also has a link to download the list in excel, for those who care about nerdy details like that. Enjoy!

Tomorrow is our dog’s birthday so I thought it would be a good day to post his gear list and some general thoughts/tips on hiking with a dog. But first, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROONEY!!

Quick disclaimer before we get going: I am neither a veterinarian nor an expert on dogs. My thoughts and opinions stem from my own experiences with my Weimaraner and from research I have done on the subject. I encourage you to explore other sources of information and determine what works best for you and your dog – everyone is different.

After Trail Days in 2010

When planning for our thru-hike, we always knew we would be bringing Rooney with us. Hiking was a big part of our lifestyle when we decided to get a dog and as we were learning about different breeds, the Weimaraner stood out to us as a dog that would love being outdoors. They’re known for their high energy and prefer a lot of exercise, plus they are hunting dogs so they feel comfortable in the woods.

(Side note – if you’re interested in adopting a Weimaraner, there is a fantastic rescue organization nearby and I definitely suggest you check them out. You don’t need to go to a breeder to get a full-bred dog!)

He used to fit in a messenger bag!

Rooney’s first hike was on the AT. He was such a tiny puppy and we took him on a day hike to Abingdon Gap shelter. He was so little that we had to carry him part of the way (it’s harmful for puppies to walk too many miles while they are still growing), but getting him familiar with trails and shelters at a young age has served us well over the years.

Bringing a dog on a thru-hike is one of those topics that stir up strong emotions in some folks. Some have had bad experiences with an aggressive dog or maybe they had to share a campsite with a dog that was allowed to run loose and disturb other hikers. Some think it’s cruel and selfish to force a dog to hike that many miles. Whatever the reason, there are a large number of folks who do not welcome dogs on the trail. And that’s fine. I’m not here to tell them they are wrong.

But I’m also not in agreement with them. I think some dogs do have a place on the trail, BUT I also think there are very important factors that need to be considered before you take your dog on a hike, whatever the distance. Most importantly, you need to be in control of your dog. I say this for the safety of the dog most of all. Yes, it is also to be considerate of your fellow hikers, but your dog relies on you to know what is acceptable and safe. So for your dog’s sake, make sure you have reliable verbal commands and can call your dog to your side no matter what the circumstance.

Rooney on the trail.

Also consider what your dog is truly capable of and whether you are willing to adjust your hike to your dogs needs (i.e. skip a hostel with a shower and bed because they don’t allow pets). Be realistic about your dog’s body type and endurance. Make sure that your dog actually enjoys hiking and camping for more than a day at a time. Dogs rely on us to do what’s best for them and while it may be hard to separate from your dog for six months, it might be what’s best for him.

All of that said, if you still believe that your dog is ready for a thru-hike then head over to this checklist on WhiteBlaze and give it a thorough read. It’s a bit of a harsh stance on trail dogs and you may not agree with every word of it, but it does provide some very important questions to consider.

Serial and I have spent a good amount of time preparing & planning for Rooney to accompany us on our hike so I wanted to share his gear list with you all. If anyone has suggestions or feedback on what worked or didn’t work for their dog, I would love to hear it.

Last night I tore into a new book and finished it in just one night. I loved it! If you are considering a thru-hike, I definitely suggest reading Appalachian Trials, by Zach Davis (trail name Badger). He is a thru-hiker who hiked the AT in 2011 and has a pretty popular hiking blog.

There are a lot of hiking books out there, especially for the Appalachian Trail, but this book focuses on the psychological challenge a thru-hike presents. It talks about the mindset needed to complete the hike and gives you exercises (mental, not physical) to complete before and on the trail. Personally, I found this really helpful in my planning process.

And don't worry, for all you gear junkies out there... Ian of The Dusty Camel also devoted a section to this very topic. The guy is an expert after hiking the AT and the PCT and shared his vast knowledge, complete with a gear checklist.

The book is available in eReader format now and will be available in print soon. Get your booty over to Amazon.com and check it out. If you do read it, I would love to hear your thoughts on it so leave a comment or send an email.

The other day a friend of mine, a former thru-hiker, asked me if I was training for the hike. My answer? Nope.

Now before you tell me how crazy I am, hear me out. It’s not that I am doing nothing at all; it’s just that I’m not doing much more than my normal fitness routine. My goal is to be in good shape when I hit the trail, but I have accepted that those first few weeks will be really tough on my body. And that’s OK. I’ve heard from several successful thru-hikers that the only way to prepare for carrying 30 extra lbs. up the side of a mountain day-after-day is to just get out there and do it. If it were at all possible for me to hike several days a week, I would absolutely do it. But like most people, I work 5 days a week and on the weekend I have things I need to get done. So, I compromise on training and settle for what I can fit into my schedule.

My basic workout plan right now is running 6-7 miles a few times a week and getting out for a long hike each weekend. Now that I’m only 2 months away from the AT, I am also going to add weight lifting back into the mix. I have a love/hate relationship with weights and I get bored easily when I’m indoors, but I’m going to majorly regret it if I don’t build up some muscle before I hit Springer.

I’m also rediscovering yoga and loving it. One of my goals on the hike is to make sure I stretch often in order to take care of my muscles & joints. Learning the building blocks of yoga now will definitely benefit me on the trail. I daydream about waking on a mountaintop and using yoga to prepare for the day ahead.

So there you have it. I guess you could call it “training lite” because it’s not like I’m straight off the couch, but I’m basically just exercising like a normal person. Come April, the mountains will OWN me. I will be intensely sore and tired in those first few weeks. And I must be crazy, because it sounds downright awesome.

If you're interested in reading more about physical training for an AT thru-hike, I suggest reading this article on WhiteBlaze. It's long, but it's packed with great advice for all kinds of training plans. It's written by several successful thru-hikers and gives a range of perspectives.

I'm addicted to blogs. And Pinterest. And Target, chocolate, my dog, magazines... wait, what was I saying? Oh right, blogs. My RSS feed is jam-packed and I have a couple of favorites that I follow faithfully. Time to share the love and hopefully make your RSS feed a little happier. (I apologize in advance to your significant other for all the time you will spend on these sites.)

Update! Life has become busy in a great way, so we don't have a lot of time for blogging these days. We've left the site up as a reference, and we do check our blog emails whenever we can, but we are no longer actively posting or commenting. Thanks for understanding and have a wonderful day!

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About US

I'm a Chicago girl who loves the outdoors and everything DIY. He's an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker and addicted to nature. Follow us as we share our experiences with home projects, recipes and hiking with our energetic Weimaraner, Rooney.